Global Symmetries in the Antifield-Formalism

Abstract

In this paper, two things are done. (i) First, it is shown that any global symmetry of a gauge-invariant theory can be extended to the ghosts and the antifields so as to leave invariant the solution of the master-equation (before gauge fixing). (ii) Second, it is proved that the incorporation of the rigid symmetries to the solution of the master-equation through the introduction of a constant ghost for each global symmetry can be obstructed already at the classical level whenever the theory possesses higher order conservation laws. Explicit examples are given.